Parking made easy: World's first 'FOLDING car' to launch this summer for $17,400

Navigating small spaces will no longer be a problem this summer thanks to a new foldable vehicle that drives like a car and parks like a motorcycle.

Measuring just 4.5 feet wide, the fully electric CT-2 vehicle works in different modes to expand and shrink in size to just 3.2 feet, allowing it to fit into a tight parking space or down a small back road.

The CT-2 reduces its size by pulling in its wheelbase, but does not shrink the cabin that fits a driver and passenger. 

But the vehicle carries the downside for those who feel the need for speed, it is slower by any than other electric vehicles - only reaching up to 55 mph in five seconds at its largest size and 24 mph in its narrowest mode. 

The new CT-2 has a price tag of $17,400 and is available to pre-order for  a down payment of $162 

he new shape-shifting CT-2 can fit into spaces that are just 3.2 feet wide, designers claim

The CT-2 can expand to 4.5 feet on full-width roads and reach speeds of 55 mph

Israel-based City Transformer is set to release its next-gen CT-2 car in July globally, with a $17,400 (€16,000) price tag, and is available for pre-order worldwide for a down payment of $162 (€150). 

‘In the bustling realm of urban mobility, CityTransformer emerges as a pioneer, challenging conventions and reshaping the way we perceive cars and their impact on the world,’ the company said.

‘At the core of this transformative journey lies a passionate commitment to integrating sustainable materials into their innovative designs.’

The CT-2 has a range of 74 miles to 111 miles before needing to recharge and the company boasted that the vehicle offers a ‘cleaner, smarter urban lifestyle’ by ‘reducing emissions and noise pollution.'

The CT-1's gull-winged doors can also make it easier to exit the vehicle in  a small space

The car operates between two different modes, reducing and expanding its width 

By using sustainable materials, the company said the CT-2 leaves a ‘gentler footprint on the planet’ and is environmentally conscious because of its smaller size to help cities ‘detox transportation.’

The CT-2 model also features a 75 percent weight reduction that makes the car twice as energy efficient as a standard four-door vehicle.

That is due to its battery being 70 percent lighter than other electric vehicles, meaning it will use less energy-intensive mining for the lithium-ion batteries that pollute the soil, water and air.

CT-2's small size means it can fit comfortably down country lanes

Switching to electric vehicles by 2050 would prevent 2.8 MILLION child asthma attacks and over 500 infant deaths, report claims 

Reducing carbon emissions by putting more electric vehicles on the road roughly 2.8 million asthma attacks, 2.7 million upper respiratory symptoms, 147,000 acute bronchitis cases, and more than 500 infant's lives.

Because the CT-2 requires smaller batteries, City Transformer said it will make 13 million tons of batteries obsolete by the end of the decade.

It added that the compact vehicle will reduce 1,200 tons of emissions annually compared to other EVs, and has a yearly target of a 12.2 material footprint.

A 12.2 material footprint is the global goal to reduce the amount of fuel, fossils, and metals that are used to manufacture cars and other production and consumption per capita, according to the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

A report by the American Lung Association found by fully switching to electric vehicles by 2050, the reduction in pollutants could save more than 500 infants’ lives and prevent 2.8 million child asthma attacks, 2.7 million respiratory symptoms, and 147,000 cases of acute bronchitis.

Roughly 29 percent of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the U.S. are due to passenger vehicles, and highway vehicles release about 1.5 billion tons of GHGs, the U.S. Department of Energy reported, yet as of 2022, only five percent of the vehicles on the road are electric.

'Air pollution harms children's health and wellbeing today, and the transportation sector is a leading source of air pollution.' said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association.

'Kids are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,' he continued. 'As the impacts of climate change intensify, the risks to children's health and future will continue to grow.'

The compact vehicle will reportedly help curb carbon emissions, according to City Transformer

City Transformer aims to change this and has reportedly already secured 1,000 orders for medical emergency teams in Israel, and has received another 1,000 pre-orders globally.

‘CT-2 will be a game changer, not only in mobility but also in all aspects of urban community life,’ said City Transformer’s chief design officer Eyal Cremer.

‘It will free our time, free our minds and free our cities. Reclaiming their public space back to people.’